Background and aim: The prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) is not known in our country. The aim of present study was to find out the prevalence of CHD in school children of eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Method: A team consisting of a cardiologist, physicians and junior residents visited schools in the area. All the children were examined for presence of cardiac murmur or history of heart disease or any intervention. Those with murmurs or previous history of heart disease were called to the Medical College Hospital for evaluation by ECG, chest X-ray and echocardiography for confirmation of the lesion.
Results: Out of 118,212 children examined, 142 were found to have CHD. The prevalence was 1.3 per 1000 children and the commonest lesions were ventricular and atrial septal defects, aortic stenosis with or without regurgitation, and pulmonary stenosis.
Conclusion: CHD prevalence is 1.3 per 1000 school children that is nearly two and a half times more than that of RHD. Knowing it is important for development of facilities for CHD care in our setup.